Test Shots

Here are some of my test shots where I have been exploring what I think I want to show....they have been investigating the locations, the time of day, the memories, depth of field I find most pleasing and the prominence of the subject. Needless to sat all of these were discarded for various reasons (main one being they are all rubbish lolol) but all helped build upon the final images I took.

I loved the silhouette idea, the memory is from Christmas 2004, the first Christmas after my husband left and I spent it on my own as our children were with him. I wandered down to the local park and took sunset shots of the lake from this spot. However the area here is very 'twiggy' and I just found there were too many distracting elements. A few days later I tried from the other side of the lake but with a different idea of not using the lake. The cloud cover remained and I got no sunset.....had to pencil in another return trip. Just as well the park is a 5 minute drive away!



I love gardening (or did when I had the time) and have spent a lot of time and effort transforming my front garden from a muddy pit into a colourful rockery, however there were too many distracting elements to try an avoid, and not enough was in flower to provide any kind of interest. I gave up on this idea totally.



A trip to the Church where I was married after school gave a lovely dusky sunset glow but the long shadows were a problem. I was in kinds of positions trying to make sure I didn't shade the shoes. Trying out ideas gleaned from Joy Gregory I didn't make the shoe the main subject...found I wasn't happy with that result.



I seemed to have lived down my local gym, the kids had swimming lessons and tumble tots and school galas, at one point before I returned to work I would swim or go to spin fit classes at least 3 times a week... again experimenting with showing more of the building than the shoes...another shot that convinced me I didn't like that idea.....



Crematorium. My father died when I was 18.

As a child every summer holidays we would visit Margate :o) As an adult I love to go back even though it is a bit shabby now.

From the mid 1980's until I left to go on maternity leave in late 1991 I worked in Princes Street, I'd walk London Bridge every day, lunch at St Paul's Churchyard in summer, and liquid lunch in the London Stone. Many years later I'd still meet with a friend for lunch in this great little pub, very Gothic and atmospheric. I had this great red "power suit" that I'd wear with my red shoes ;o) Ahhh those were the days.......

Having "played" narrowed down my ideas. Fairly shallow depth of field, probably f5.6 giving more focus to the shoes, background fading slightly like the memories, I still have the shoes but the memories are just that tad blurred by time. I prefer the images where the shoes are the focus and given prominence within the frame. Although the shoes are the main subject the background is just as important and thought will be given to composition and interest. I don't want them to be just 'record' shots.